America’s steel and aluminum tariffs had the potential to impact Canada’s economy and NAFTA as a whole. This had welding equipment and gas suppliers in Brampton and the GTA worried.

White House trade advisor Peter Navarro claimed that the tax would be so miniscule; it would increase the price of an aluminum can six pack of beer by 2 cents. However, Canada exports 90% of it’s steel to the United States. That counts for 16 percent of the United States’ steel imports and 41 percent of America’s aluminum imports, so those two cents could’ve added up to quite a lot, enough to hurt Canada’s economy significantly.

The original goal was to petition for a full exemption for Canada, because of their integral and strategic role in supplying aluminum and steel to the United States. Although a full exemption wasn’t the exact outcome, Canada received an exemption of sorts. President Trump delivered an eleventh hour stay for many trade partners, including Canada, European Union countries, South Korea and Mexico, citing that the main target of these tariffs was China. This is relatively good news from our southern neighbors and our largest steel and aluminum buyer, however, the news media are using phrases like “a stay has been issued for now”, which suggests that the US hasn’t given up on this tariff. But, hopefully Canada has seen the last of it.

How Would This Have Affected Gas Suppliers In Brampton And The Greater Toronto Area?

Gas suppliers in Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area would have been affected if the cylinders and equipment they use were bought and manufactured in the United States from foreign steel or aluminum. Canadian steel and aluminum producers export to the United States, as do many countries. The US then uses that steel and aluminum to manufacture items, like cylinders and other equipment.

The 10 percent tariff on aluminum and the 25 percent tariff on steel would have undoubtedly caused the price of manufactured steel and aluminum items to rise, because they would be more expensive to produce. This would also have made aerospace, auto parts, defense equipment, and other aluminum and steel manufactured goods much more expensive to buy. Because there is a stay on the tariffs, the threat to gas suppliers in Brampton and the GTA has been relieved for the moment.

Josef Gas Is Dedicated To Informing Their Customers Of Changes In NAFTA Or Tariffs

At Josef Gas, customers come first. We’re dedicated to keeping you informed about any changes in our prices due to outside forces, like trade tariffs. Contact us for more info on how we keep you informed and protected.